Bleeding
by Mouko
Summary: It took a special sort of courage to work alongside someone like Jade Curtiss - courage or stubbornness. Whatever the case, the horrors of fomicry experimentation could affect even the most stalwart of individuals - and Saphir was always too sensitive.


The strobe lights flickered, fonic energy leaping from orb to orb like blue lightning. It cast the entire laboratory in a soft glow, illuminating the rows of containment capsules and their contents - organs, body parts, and monsters both partially formed and not.

At the center of the room were two monsters, large wolf-type creatures that were fastened securely to two examination tables - side by side.

Saphir stood at the front of one of the tables, trembling. He was young, comparatively speaking - sixteen at best. He fidgeted uncomfortably with his lab coat, buttoning it and then unbuttoning it while he tried to combat the nausea bubbling in his stomach.

The nausea was incredible.

The two monsters were original and replica, theoretically identical to each other. However, theory had yet again failed to manifest in reality. It was obvious which was the original and which the replica, as the replica's body was malformed. Its legs were half-formed, little more than mangled stumps with useless little paws that could never support any weight. It seemed to gape at Dist with blind eyes, its tongue wagging out as its mouth was fastened around the life support tube in its mouth.

Nausea. Those eyes, staring at him - staring _through_ him. The nausea threatened to overcome him, making his legs wobble slightly. He was a fontechnician, not a biologist. Why was he even here, why was he taking part in any of this? Fontech was different, it was safe. Fontech wasn't alive - it doesn't bleed, it simply leaks.

But Jade needed him. Nausea be damned, he would assist Jade.

The snap of latex gloves brought Saphir's attention back to the task at hand. He glanced over at Jade, who looked down at the monster replica without even so much as the merest hint of emotion. He was also quite young, his long hair tied in a ponytail to keep it out of the way.

"We will have to perform a vivisection and see if there is any internal damage in addition to the external." Jade said, so calmly as he approached the table of instruments between the two monsters and picked up a scalpel.

"B-but," Saphir hesitated, then looked at Jade anxiously. "It's still alive!"

Jade did not look at him. "I believe that is the point of a _vivisection_."

Saphir flinched and looked away sharply as Jade moved to press the scalpel to the beast, exposing its insides with slow and precise cuts. The nausea was absolutely overwhelming. It took everything he had not to throw up on the floor. All the while, the monster stared at him - through him.

He preferred Fontech. He was not a biologist! ...Though, one could argue that replicas were merely an advanced form of Fontech. Created, artificial, and using organic parts rather than metal. They were all made of Fonons, all made of the same substance - just the bonds were different.

Don't throw up.

"Saphir, get over here," Jade said, calmly. "Pin this down."

Saphir hesitated, then moved over the opposite side of the table. Picking up one of the pins, his hands trembled as he picked up the pins meant to fasten the cut flesh out of Jade's way. He glanced at the monster, who continued to stare at nothing. It was too drugged to feel anything - at least, he hoped it was.

Not offering any insight, the replicated beast's eyes seemed to follow him. Or perhaps, he simply _thought_ they did.

He was a fontechnician, not a biologist! Fontech wasn't alive - it doesn't bleed, it simply leaks.

"Hurry up." Jade said, emotion finally appearing in his voice - impatience.

Replicas were just another type of Fontech.

Saphir grimaced and moved to do as he was told. As he shakily peeled back the loose skin to pin it down, the monster suddenly twitched. It wasn't much, and could very well have been an involuntary spasm rather than anything to do with pain, but it was enough to cause Saphir to fall backwards with a scream and drop the pins. His rump hit the floor roughly, jarring him.

Overwhelmed, Saphir threw up a little on the floor.

The laboratory was silent as Saphir retched a little, Jade silently standing by the table and the specimen on it. He waited a good moment until Saphir was in control of himself again, though he trembled violently all over.

"I was under the impression you were going to _help_ me, not _hinder_ me," Jade said, his voice sharp as a knife. It was as if Jade's words were cutting in to his skin, just like the scalpel had the failed replica. Saphir flinched before he gaped up at Jade from the floor. "If you cannot be of any assistance, then at least _try _to stay out of my way."

"...I'm sorry," Saphir muttered, his shoulders drooping. "I'll try harder."

"You're of no use to me if you cannot handle a simple procedure such as this." Jade continued, as if Saphir hadn't spoken.

"...I'm sorry..."

Saphir wasn't going to fail Jade - he absolutely wasn't. If that meant getting past such foolish emotions such as this, he would. He would never be bothered by this again. It was okay. Jade wasn't bothered by it, so it was okay. Replicas were just a type of Fontech. It wasn't alive, so it was okay.

The beast stared at him.

It _wasn't_ alive so it was okay.

The replica monster made a gurgling noise.

It wasn't _alive_ so it was okay.

It doesn't bleed, it simply leaks. It doesn't bleed, it simply leaks. It doesn't bleed, it simply leaks. It doesn't bleed, it simply leaks. It doesn't bleed, it simply leaks.

_It doesn't bleed, it simply leaks._

It was completely okay.


End file.
